Halophyte-Derived Kushneria Strains Enhance Salt Tolerance and Rhizosphere Dynamics in Cabbage.

ABSTRACT: Halophytic plants harbour salt-tolerant bacteria that enhance resilience to salinity. In this study, two highly halotolerant Kushneria isolates, K. konosiri (Kk) and K. marisflavi (Km), were obtained from the halophyte Suaeda maritima. Both strains tolerated up to 25% NaCl and promoted Arabidopsis thaliana growth under salt stress by producing indole-3-acetic acid, proline, and extracellular polysaccharides that mitigated osmotic stress. Inoculation with Kk or Km increased shoot and root biomass and reduced intracellular Na⁺ and reactive oxygen species. Their agricultural potential was tested in cabbage (Brassica rapa), where both isolates alleviated salinity-induced growth inhibition. A combined inoculum (Kkm) showed enhanced efficacy, significantly increasing shoot biomass (1.26-fold vs.

SUBMITTER: Peng Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12675972 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature